


Mindless Youth

by infectedscrew



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Loki's Sharp Tongue, Minor Battle, Minor Injuries, Thor just wants to fight things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6771667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infectedscrew/pseuds/infectedscrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor has something to prove and that never ends well for anyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mindless Youth

There was no greater thrill than that of the hunt. It was a singular joy that any good Asguardian coveted with a great passion. The fantastic thrill of tracking down an enemy or prey was the sort of rush that put a bright flush to the even the oldest cheeks. The most basic battle of will power between the hunted and the hunter that only serves to prove who is the strongest.

But the best part was the complete and utter victory.

The crushing defeat of one party that proves the strength and dominance of the other.

At least that’s what Thor continually babbled to Loki as he dragged them both through the thick muddy, thorn covered foliage.

“It shall be glorious brother,” Thor boomed, one hand clenched around Loki’s wrist and the other swinging his mighty hammer ahead of them.

Loki’s eyebrow had been stuck in a permanent arch since he’d been yanked out of bed early that morning. For him, hunting was no such great thrill. Just the barbaric intent to kill. It was one beast mindlessly slaughtering the other for something close to amusement.

Although, he had to admit, sometimes it was interesting if the prey had the ability to fight back. That tended to add a little spice.

Thor’s prey, however, was usually in the range of large game animals and vaguely sentient snakes.

“I shall vanquish a bilgesnipe and prove to Fandral that I have prowess.”

Loki sighed, sincerely wishing that he could have his right hand back. “You do realize he wasn’t speaking of your battle abilities,” he drawled. As much as he adored to tease Thor’s inability to understand most of Fandral’s comments, he just wasn’t in the mood today.

That made Thor stop. He looked at Loki, eyes blinking under the brilliant light of the two suns of Asguard. “What? Of course that’s what he mean. What else could it be?”

Before Loki could explain that not all statements are as pure as they sounded, Thor was off again, dragging Loki through the muck.

Dirt was not befitting of a Prince of Asguard. Much less the crown prince; not that Thor appeared to mind. Loki minded very much. His pants were soaked to the knee and sharp thorns stuck to his sleeves. Being pulled along behind Thor meant that he occasionally got mud flicked in his face.

It was not to be misunderstood that he hadn’t fought against this. He had done so rather vehemently. In fact, he’d exhausted every trick that he could think of to get Thor off of his trail. Which, considering that even at his young age, he was nicknamed a god of trickery, was quite a bit. But Thor was determined to have his brother with him no matter what the cost.

So, with an exhausted Loki in tow, Thor had set off into the deep forest in search of a bilgesnipe.

“Do you even know where to search for a bilgesnipe?” Loki asked, cutting into Thor’s current monologue about Fandral’s indecency at dinner parties.

Thor shot Loki a look that suggested the dark haired prince had lost his mind. “Of course I do. Think me a fool, Loki?”

“Only when I’m feeling particularly kind,” Loki muttered, scrambling over a fallen log.

“I know exactly where the beasts nest for the night. I shall storm in with the might of an Odinson…”

And from there Loki tuned Thor out. If the blond male wasn’t going to pay attention to their surroundings, he figured he should shoulder that responsibility.

They were already rather far into the forests, too far for Loki’s liking. He was accustomed to dark, threatening places, but the old forests of Asguard promised more danger than Odin himself could handle. Myths of ancient spirits haunted the gnarled trees. The dead held the marshes in their grips, daring any to make a misstep.

Loki could get himself out of any trap but the same could not be said for his brother.

A sound that didn’t belong to either prince echoed from the trees.

Instantly Loki was on guard, free hand slipping into his belt to curl around a knife. He had no hope of battling a monster. He was not built for brute strength.

“Thor, shut it,” he hissed.

“Do not be unkind, brother. I was merely saying–”

“That you’re going to get us both killed. Did you not hear that?”

Thor quieted, releasing Loki and his grip on Mjolnir tightened. When his mouth wasn’t incessantly running, he was quite the warrior to behold. His entire being straightened and tense to snapping point. With eyes focused, it was quite easy to believe the stories of his grand battles.

Now was not the time for Loki to be assessing his brother’s ability to look strong. He turned, back to back with Thor, watching the forest around them. His wire thin frame was taught, ready to spring into action.

The sound came again, drawing their attention to the left. Thor shifted, posture defensive as he moved toward it. He reached forward to push the brush aside.

An explosion of noise and debris sounded behind them. Thor and Loki both whipped around, weapons raised to block the mess.

There was no chance for the dust to settle before the beast launched itself at the pair.

“Loki!”

Thor swung his arm forward and grabbed the back of Loki’s tunic. He bodily threw the other prince to the side. It earned him a shout of protest but that was better than dealing with a severely injured brother.

The bilgesnipe was a monstrous creature. Taller than most trees, it’s great jaw could snap even a great man’s limbs clear off. Dangerous horns jutted from it’s scaled head, daring the boldest of fighters to a challenge. Brilliantly flashing claws rent the air, demanding blood for the invaded territory.

“I am your target, beast,” Thor shouted, knocking his hammer against the metal gauntlet of his other arm. Crashes of ringing metal rung out in the newly made clearing.

Snarling and spitting, the bilgesnipe launched at the crown prince.

Thor, in his usual fashion, met the creature head on. Knocking his fist into the beasts’ jaw, he started a battle he hoped would get him into the legendary tales.

Loki forced his way back out of the thicket he’d been shoved into. Had it been any other time, he would have served Thor his own brand of justice. As it were, nature seemed to have its own plans for Thor.

The great, barbed tail of the bilgesnipe snapped around, threatening to knock Loki back down.

With an undignified sound, Loki jerked back. On instinct he grabbed the tail, ice spreading into the brilliant red flesh.

The bilgesnipe shrieked, wrenching itself from it’s fight with Thor. It twisted around to face the enemy that had dared to injure him. The deafening sound it released should have been enough to make Loki turn tail and run but he was a Prince of Asguard and he would behave as such.

He snarled at the beast, blade flashing as he brought it up.

“Good plan, brother!” Thor shouted. “Distract the beast!”

It wasn’t much of a plan but Loki supposed he could go with it. He flexed his hand, magic pooling in the tip of his fingers. The sharp crystals shot from his hand, striking the bilgesnipe in the eye.

As the beast writhed, screaming at the burning pain, Thor launched at it’s back. His hammer struck the hard spine, knocking the creature off balance. The bilgesnipe struck the ground, body jerking. Thor leapt away, quite believing himself close to victory.

One of the limbs struck out, knocking into Thor and blasting the prince off his feet. He fell out of the clearing, destroying even more plant life with his body.

“Thor!”

Ducking the flailing limbs and snapping jaws, Loki rushed to his sibling. He dropped to his side, carefully pushing him onto his back. “Brother, you fool,” he grumbled.

“Loki? Is it defeated?”

“No, you bumbling peasant. Now stand before the beast decides to have another go at your midsection.”

Loki grasped his brother’s arm, urging him to his feet.

Taking more time than they strickly had, Thor managed to stand. He made to move back to the battle. Loki growled, forcing him the other way.

It was not, in anyway, satisfactory to be able to pull Thor through the forest. There was no vindictive revenge in returning that mornings favor. This time there was only the urgency of fear that forced Loki to haul his brother at top speed through the plants. He could feel Thor stumbling behind him, breathing ragged and not at all natural.

He could only pray the bilgesnipe didn’t follow and they didn’t run into anything else with poor intentions.

Only when his lungs demanded the need for a solid breath did Loki slow. He stopped in a small hidden clearing he was familiar with. Turning back to Thor, he finally assessed the wound.

In retrospect, he’d wished he’d done it sooner. The gleaming claws had dragged along Thor’s stomach, tearing muscle. Blood soaked through undershirt and tunic. The older brother was swaying slightly on his feet, eyes unfocused.

Loki grimaced and guided his brother to rest against a tree. “I should get Father,” he said. “Or Sif.”

Thor glared, grabbing his wrist. “You’ll get no one. I shall walk back with pride.”

“You are not going to be doing much walking in your state.”

Loki tore strips off of Thor’s shirt, tying them into a makeshift bandage. With a small amount of brutality, he tied them tight around Thor’s midsection.

Thor winced. “Why my tunic?” He asked, mouth turning down in a childish frown.

Loki shot him a withering look. He opened his mouth and a string of irritations poured out.

“Why? Because you woke me up before the second sun had risen. Because you bothered me for two hours. Because you got it into your sludge filled mind that fighting a bilgesnipe would be a good idea. Because you dragged me through the forest, which you know is forbidden past the third ring. Because you found a bilgesnipe to battle. Because you got injured by said beast. And now, because I have to haul your injured carcass back to the palace.”

Each sentence was punctuated by a harsh, tightening tug on the mock-bandages.

Thor hated to admit that he was almost crying by the end of it. His brother could be very cruel when he wished to be. The impossibly tight wound-coverings were an atest to that. “Y-yes, I understand, Loki. But we successfully got away and now have a story to tell.”

Loki looked like he was going to beat Thor’s face in. “This is not a story to tell,” he snapped, getting to his feet and brushing his hands off. “Mother will not be happy. And Fandral will, undoubtedly, make fun of you.”

Silence dropped over them. Loki was done with biting comments and Thor didn’t have much to say in return.

“Just help me back, Loki,” Thor muttered.

There was a moment where it seemed like Loki would just leave him against the tree. In the end, he leaned back down and helped Thor to his feet. Hauling one arm over his shoulders, Loki helped Thor back to the palace.

For once his brother was blissfully quiet during the journey.

Just before Loki reached to push the doors open, Thor stopped him. “Thank you, brother.”

Loki glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He debated a frown. “Think nothing of it,” he said quietly. “You would have done the same should it have been me.”


End file.
